Morris tribune., 1887-02-02
TERRIBLE STORY OF CRIME
CLOSE OF THE OWENS MURDER
TRIAL AT WASHINGTON, N. C.

the Culprits and the other Two Sen
fenced for Life-HOw Owens Was MUIR
dered-A Depraved Womnn's MurderOus
Design.
WASHINGTON, N. c., Jan. 32-The Owens
murder trial, which abounded in startling
revelations, has resulted in the sending OF
Mrs. Owens and Rev. Isaac Jones to the pen
itentiary for life and q death sentence against
Stark Simpson. Simpson has taken an ap'
peal to the supreme court.
The history of the terrible affair is as fol-
lows: A. d. Owens, a white man, was
merchant at Cresswell, Washington county.
His wife was woman with whom In early
life he had contracted laison, and whom
he married later, In defiance Of the rldicuie
Of friends and the entreaties of his relatives.
He was, therefore, cast off, and though
man Of respectable family was cut of from
all social intercourse. Mrs. Owens had sew
eral children born before wedlock, and one
Of these, a daughter 20 years Of age, was
suspected Of intimacy with negro named
James Ambrose. The latter was desperate
and outlaw, and was the man who some time
since set fire to the Jail at HaIrell, while
prisoner therein, and SO made his escape.
Owens, angry at the girls love for Ambrose,
locked her up. Her mother took her part,
not ohjecting to her intimacy with Ambrose.
This led to a quarrel, and finally to Owens
death. The quarrel occurred last Septem-
Der, and Mrs. Owens, her daughter and
Ambrose at once began to plan to kill
Owens.
H g. fI,nS,, TSn
Jones and Stark Simpson. All agreed that
the wife should poison her husband. She
gave him poison, but in too great quantities,
and he was only made sick The failure of
tho plan enraged Mrs. Owens. She conferred
again with JONES' who was looked up to by
all the conspirators. Jones advised her to
give her husband an opiate, and said that
when he was under its influence at night she
should give him the signal. They would
enter the house, take Owens from the bed,
and drown him in a barrel Of hot water
Mrs. Owens heated the water and admins
tered the opiate She gave the signal and
her negro allies entered. Owens was par
tally stupetied, and all the party stood by
his bedside. Jones declared that 1t was I'M
safe to make the attempt to end his life in
that way. Mrs. Owens, furious at the re-
peated failures, urged them to shoot him.
Jones concurred in her idea: and said that as
enough were present to do the deed he would
go to his church 1t was agreed that the
negroes should return later in the
night and make a noise as if breaking
into Owens store, which adjoined the house.
The plan was carried out. Mrs. Owens
reused her husband, telling him burglars
were attempting to enter. Owens declined
to go ont She urged him to do So Finally
he went into the yard, and clapped his hands
together to frighten the burglars. In an ill
stant the report Of a gun was heard, and
Owens fell, pierced by many buckshot In
half an hour he died. The community was
soon in q state Of the widest excitement,
and Ambrose was at once suspected Two
men, Bosnight and Spruill, volunteered to
capture him. Entering his cabin, they found
him. He cried out:
''1f you want me for shooting at Owens,
you are after the wrong man."
With these words he sprang at Spruill,
threw him on the floor, and, drawing a re-
yolver, attempted to shoot him.
BoSnight seized his revolver, but Ambrose
drawing another again attempted to shoot
Spruill. Bosnight then fired at him, blow
ing off the top of his skull. Concealed in
Ambroses house was Stark Simpson, who
was arrested. He confessed the deed, and
revealed the awful crime above stated. He
said that Ambrose shot Ownes, and also that
Mrs. Owens had promised each of them $50
and a pair of shoes for killing her husband.
To verify Simpsons statement they took
him to Mrs. Owens door. She came out
when Simpson called, and Bosnight and
Spruill, who were concealed, heard her ac-
knowledge her obligation for killing Owens.
She told Simpson to call in the morning and
get his money. The men entered and ar
rested her. The people were furious, and
came near lynching her and her two accom-
plices, but they were safely jailed Later
they moved the case from Washington to
Beaufort county. Upon the witness-stand
Simpson testified in his own behalf, and re-
told all the horrible story, and his statement
caused profound sensation.